If we want to close the gap of women in leadership, we, as women, really need to support each other.
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It’s my fourth year writing a submission for the WBJ’s The Boardroom Gap investigative series. To prepare I cautiously started doing some research. In the “Women CEOS in America 2020 Report” published by The Women in Business Collaborative, an alliance of business women’s organizations working to achieve equal position, pay and power for all women, things were looking up.
The number of women leading Fortune 500 companies is at an historic high of 37. The Women in Business Collaborative published in its monthly “Women Joining Public Boards” showing in December, 107 women were appointed to public boards, an upward trend in the fourth quarter of 2020 with women comprising an average of 41% of public board appointees. Before I could let my excitement get the best of me, I dug deeper and realized only two CEOs on the Fortune 500 and only 28 public board appointees are women of color. I had flashbacks to writing about the concrete ceiling for The Boardroom Gap in 2018.
Back in 2019, I was energized by women firsts in sports and the political landscape. While I am still motivated by Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall, and even happier to see the Boston Red Sox making history with coach Bianca Smith, I am most inspired by our new vice president, Kamala Harris. I have always believed little girls can’t be what they can’t see; and now they can see a female in the second highest position in our country, and for little girls of color, it’s a VP who looks like them.
One of my happiest moments in the past few months (it’s a pandemic, we need to cherish moments of joy) was my college roommate texting me during the vice presidential debate to tell me then Senator Harris’ facial expressions reminded him of me and how I deal with difficult people. That’s probably what motivated me to agree when a friend asked if I would help with her local political campaign.
On a nightly call with my candidate friend, her husband said, “I just want to thank you for all that you are doing for my wife. There are times when women are not always as helpful to her as she works to progress in her career and life.” Which got me thinking: Do we as women not always support each other? Are we the ones holding each other back? What happened to lifting each other up?
If we want to close the gap of women in leadership, we, as women, really need to support each other. It’s easy and the right thing to do. Shop at a local female-owned business. If you're on a board, make sure to recommend women you know to the nominating committee. See a job opening as a perfect fit for a female acquaintance aligning with their career desire? Send it to them with an encouraging note. If you are in leadership, be open to mentoring a younger woman who is interested in your field. It could be an informal interview, a phone call, or a longer commitment. These suggestions might come off as small, but will make a big difference to the women you are supporting.
Melanie Bonsu is director of development & marketing for the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts.
